The Kirk-Sessim and its Duties. 207 



profession of her repentance by appearing " in sacco " 

 for the first time on 3rd December, 1738. Meanwhile 

 there had been strenuous dealing with Geordie Watt. 

 On account of " the several presumptions that lay against 

 him of his being in less or more conscious of, or having 

 a hand in ye abominable part yt Isa. Mortimer acted," 

 Geordie had also been ordered to appear before the con- 

 gregation in sackcloth ; but he protested against the 

 award, vowing that " he would never satisfy in sack- 

 cloth for yt which he knew nothing about." He was 

 willing to "satisfy" in the ordinary way for what we sup- 

 pose we may, in his case at least, call the major charge. 

 Geordie, who had not been altogether a simpleton evi- 

 dently, offered to pay 100 merks for behoof of the poor, 

 on condition of being liberated from the sackcloth ; and 

 as the Session had got into the way of listening favour- 

 ably to such proposals by defaulters of substance, his 

 bribe obtained him that indulgence. He simply ap- 

 peared three Sundays " in his own seat," and paid the 

 statutory penalty of four pounds Scots. As for poor 

 Tibbie Mortimer, she, in fulfilment of the Presbyterial 

 order, had no choice but don the sackcloth and sit in 

 public four Sundays at Chapel of Garioch. She was 

 then called in " and exhorted to continue the profes- 

 sion of her repentance " at Monymusk, which probably 

 had been her native parish. So long after as March, 

 1740, she is again remitted to the Chapel Session " to 

 do with her as they shall see cause," and " as they 

 were of opinion yt her oftener appearing there could 

 be of little edification," they agreed that she should 

 be dismissed " after sitting one Sabbath more in sack- 

 cloth and paying one guinea for the use of the poor." 

 Next month she appeared and paid 12 Ib. 12 sh. penalty, 

 and was absolved. 



